MetricClayton, NCRaleigh, NC
Population29,320481,031
Median Household Income$78,822$85,395
Median Rent$1,661/mo$1,572/mo
Median Home Value$329,600$415,800
Cost of Living (US = 100)9898
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income53.1%50.5%
Poverty Rate5.9%11.9%
Unemployment Rate3.3%3.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k118395
Property Crime Rate /100k1,0742,305
Median AQI4143
Good AQI Days /yr283250
Summer Highs87°F89°F
Winter Lows31°F33°F
Snowfall3 in/yr5 in/yr
Avg Commute31.1 min23 min
Hospitals—4
Avg Hospital Rating—4.5 / 5
Students per Teacher16.314.2
College Degree Rate40.4%54%
Foreign-Born %8%13.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+24.0%+8.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.